


Locked Up Abroad

by Angel_of_the_Starz



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Bending, Drug Smuggling, Drugs, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Modern Era, Smuggling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 16:45:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4270581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_of_the_Starz/pseuds/Angel_of_the_Starz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern/AU - Down on her luck, Korra learns of a great opportunity to party on the beach, soak up some sun, and explore an exotic city, for free. With her girlfriend, Asami, enjoying the trip with her, she doesn't think the trip could go any better. Then, she is handed a small brown package... Korrasami</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“You know, you don’t have to do this,” Tenzin said gently. Korra slowly blinked before lifting her chin, shifting her gaze towards him. She frowned at the crinkles near his eyes, the worry lines that hijacked his laugh lines, his uncommonly used laugh lines, and the crevices around the corners of his lips, indicating a deep frown had been set. Even though he sported a bald head, she was sure that his black hair, as indicated in his goatee, would have easily turned grey from her actions.

“Yes, I do,” she answered; her voice slow and steady. “Everyone out there needs to hear my story. My goal is to help at least one person.”

“Okay.” Tenzin placed a hand on her shoulder, and offered up a smile. Korra peered into his grey-blue eyes; instantly noticing that the warm and comforting spark that was usually present in the rare appearance of a smile, didn’t reach his eyes. She placed her hand on top of his, giving it a ghost of a squeeze, before pulling it off of her shoulder. He cleared his throat in response, nodded once, and pulled the curtain to the side.

Korra winced as she emerged from backstage, the lights of the auditorium searing into her eyes. She blinked hard, giving herself time to adjust as polite applause broke out in the room. Steadying her breath, she marched across the stage over to the podium. She surveyed the cup of water, a box of tissues, and a small bowl of mints. As the applause faded into the rafters, she looked out at the room, refusing to offer them a smile. 

“It is very easy to ruin your life,” she began, her voice firm, her words strong and calculated. “All it takes is one decision, one action that sets off a chain of events. Things can spiral out of your control, in an instant. Most of the time, that deciding factor, that one item which causes you to throw caution to the wind…is money.” 

Korra swallowed hard. She looked out at the sea of blank faces, young and old, watching her with intent. She recognized those looks; the ones that were combined with a slight nose wrinkle. The looks of disgust and ridicule, of how someone thought to be trusted and held with high regard, was a shell of their former self.

“Let’s face it. No matter what anyone says, money will change the way you think. It will change the way you view life, change the way you were raised, the way you respect yourself.” The microphone screeched loudly with feedback. She waited patiently for the noise to die, glancing out at the audience, her eyes set firmly, her face filled with determination, her voice strong and powerful, filling every corner and empty space of the auditorium. “Money, in all circumstance, is a drug. Once you have a lot of it, you must have more. You crave it. You want to have a better life and money will get it for you.”

“There is a saying: _money can’t buy happiness_. Whoever agree with this, is a liar. Money _can_ buy happiness, but only for a brief moment of time.” Her throat seized up, her eyes stung, her hands began to shake. Korra glanced at the floor, squeezing her eyes tightly. She slammed her fist onto the podium, once more, the microphone screeched in protest. Pulling her lips into a thin line, she lifted her head, stared defiantly back at those who mocked her, glared at the people who chuckled at the tiny example of weakness, before taking a deep breath, and continuing.

“A few days ago I was released from the Capital City Prison in the Fire Nation. Many people being held there are war criminals, murders, sexual predators, and drug traffickers. Now, I can say with much shame and regret, that I fit in the latter category.”

A soft murmur filled the room. Her knees locked, her head began to swim. Korra had just announced her biggest regret, to a room of people she didn’t know. While not the first occurrence, the feeling hit her hard. The regret rolled around in her stomach, the embarrassment slammed into her cheeks, shame crashed loudly in her ears, knocking her off balance. Korra plucked the microphone out of the holder on the podium, her hands shaking, following the pattern of her rapidly beating heart. She slowly walked over to an empty seat sitting in the middle of the stage. Making herself as comfortable as possible, Korra planted both feet firmly onto the ground, leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and began with a trembling voice:

“I know what you’re wondering: how can someone like me end up a drug trafficker? I didn’t have a purpose in life. I didn’t have a career goal. After graduating high school, I didn’t have an urge to go to college, so I just found a job and started working, which quickly put me into a rut. I just wanted an out, an escape. Now, don’t get me wrong. I was happy with my personal life. My parents are very loving, I have a second family here in the city, and the most amazing girlfriend in the entire world! Like I had previously mentioned, money is its own drug, and I was in desperate need of a high…”

**.: Three Weeks Earlier :.**

Korra groaned loudly as she glanced at the envelope in her hands. It was small, thin, and white, and carried the Republic City seal in the top right hand corner. She flipped the envelope over and ripped the seal off with her finger. Holding her breath, she pulled the letter out, scanning the wording before glancing over at the money amount printed at the bottom of the paper: _648.22 yuan._

She inhaled slowly, before tossing the envelope and letter onto the table. She snatched up another envelope, tore it open, and instantly looked down at the bottom of the letter.

_128.32 yuan._

Like a machine, she picked up another envelope, ripped it open, read the yuan amount at the bottom, and tossed it aside before starting the cycle anew. Pick. Rip. Scan. Toss. Pick. Rip. Scan. Toss. 

_22.19 yuan._

_50.29 yuan._

As she came to the final letter, Korra was so enraged she almost ripped the envelope in half before she double checked the seal in the top right hand corner: Republic City Health and Fitness. Her heat beat sped up as two paychecks fluttered into her palm. She forced her hands steady, before glancing over at the box which held the yuan amount.

_592.21 yuan_

_204.13 yuan_

“I only made 796.32 yuan this month?” Korra shouted, staring at the two forms of payment in her hands. “Damn it!” She threw the two checks onto the table before grabbing the envelopes and bills into her hands. Just as she was about to become a human shredder, a loud knock came on her door. With a huff, she stormed over and flung it open, starling the visitor.

“What do you want?” Korra growled as soon as she opened the door. Tahno paused, looked her up and down with a raised eyebrow, before taking a small step back. She winced as the light from a nearby window shined on his belt buckle, sending the bright reflection straight into her pupils.

“You look terrible,” he commented.

“You say that to me every day,” she reminded him.

“Well today, I especially mean it.”

“Thanks,” she answered dryly. Rolling her eyes, she held up the three envelopes held tightly in her first. “Things just aren’t looking too good. I have a stack of bills to pay, and a job where I am basically making no money,” she commented.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” The corners of his lips pulled down slightly. If it weren’t for the obvious plastic surgery work around his lips and his eyes, causing for the lack of movement in his face, she would have accepted his comments as sincere. “I was going to ask if you’d like to join me for a night out on the town, but you wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

“Where do you get all your money to spend?” Korra asked. “It seems as if you leave one week and then come back richer than ever. Spread the wealth,” she said with a laugh. Only, she was partially joking, and completely hoping that Tahno would listen to her, for once, and give her the details. Her pulse raced with happiness when he looked over his shoulders before stepping past her into the apartment. Korra frowned as he motioned wildly for her to close the door. She pushed it closed with her hip before turning to face him. She threw the bills onto a nearby shelf before crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’m in sales with someone in the Fire Nation,” he announced, polishing one of the buttons on his jacket.

“That’s it?” Korra scoffed. “If that is what is making you so jumpy then maybe you need a job that’s at a slower pace,” she chuckled. “Besides, how can you be in sales if you live here?” Korra commented. “This apartment building is okay, but we both know we could do better. At this point, _you_ could do better.”

“It throws people off,” he muttered. Tahno straightened up, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket and searching for lint. “I do my business both here and in the Fire Nation. I get to travel to all of these great locations and just party it up.” With every word, Korra’s blue eyes seemed to grow wide with amazement, wonder, and jealous. Tahno’s eyes glittered with satisfaction. “The best part of all,” he leaned in close, pressing his lips to her ear, “is that it’s for free!”

Korra gasped loudly. She had contemplated faking an air of cool, a look of someone who wasn’t impressed, but she was. Everything just sounded like a dream. “You run a business in two locations and you get to travel for _free_?” She frowned and punched him in the shoulder. “Someone has to be paying for this. It is too good to be true.”

Tahno glared harshly at her, before inspecting the area where she punched him. He sighed and pointed to a small tear. She looked down at her hand and smiled sheepishly, noticing the bright blue ring nestled on her ring finger. It was a past anniversary gift from Asami. She knew took it off. “I’m serious. I can get you in on the ground floor. You just go to a location in the Fire Nation, party for a week, and then come back and get paid,” he explained.

Her blue eyes narrowed in a sharp glare. “What’s the catch?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” He shrugged. “Would I ever steer you wrong?”

Korra frowned as roughly five scenarios flashed through her mind. They were all quickly chased away by fantasies of the beach, Asami in a bathing suit, delicious food, Asami in a bathing suit on the beach, the biggest suite money could buy, and Asami in a bathing suit…slowly emerging from the ocean….the salt water dripping down her sunkissed kiss, slipping down her cleavage, between her two soft pillowy breasts, right next to that birthmark just on the curve…

Tahno snapped his fingers by her right ear. Korra jumped, a light flush racing across her cheeks. She rubbed the back of her neck before loudly clearing her throat. “How much are we talking?”

“Well, since you’ll be in on the ground floor…” Tahno reaching into his back pocket for an envelope. He flipped it open and pulled a decent bundle out before passing it over to her. Korra’s hands shook as she pulled the stack of one-hundred dollar bills out, her lips moved as she silently counted.

“Tahno, this is almost ten-thousand yuan,” she gasped.

“Your bills and worrying would be a thing of the past.” He reached over and tapped the envelope in her hands as she replaced the money.

“Who is sending you on all of these trips?”

“My business partner,” he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“I thought you were doing this yourself?”

Tahno nailed her with an annoyed look. Korra raised her hands defensively. “If I were making all of this money and then going on trips for free on my dime, I’d be broke. Don’t worry, he’s cool.”

“How can I trust that if I never met him?” she demanded.

“So you’re interested?” he asked.

Korra looked at the money in her hands once more, biting her bottom lip. She looked up at him, forcing herself to scan his tightly stretched face. Normally, she tried her hardest not to look him straight in the face ever since he had turned to plastic surgery. It also resulted in hysterics that would last for at least sixteen minutes. “…Just party?”

“Just party,” Tahno repeated, nodding in confirmation. “How about this? You keep this here over night and then come and see me tomorrow with your answer,” he suggested. He slapped her bicep, wincing in recoil, before pulling the door open and stepping into the hallway. Korra gripped the door handle, leaning up against the entryway, moving with the door as it slowly closed, continuing to look at the green paper in her hand.

“Hey,” Asami cried, pushing up against the door. Korra looked over at her in confusion before apologizing profusely for almost closing the door on her. She stepped to the side, allowing her into the apartment. After the raven-haired girl shed her jacket, placed her purse on a chair, and kicked off her shoes, the darker girl greeted her with a quick kiss.

“Asami, I just heard about this great opportunity,” she announced, placing the envelope on the coffee table.

“Really? Let’s hear it.” Asami smiled up at her. “What’s got you so excited, sweetie?” Korra melted on the inside, her body physically matching the feeling as she floated onto the couch next to her girlfriend. That was something that drew her to the engineer, her dazzling smile that lit up any dull room, and her strong support. Asami was always eager to hear about every new opportunity or story from anyone. Even if there was something she didn’t think sounded as great as it seemed or was apprehensive about, she would offer up support no matter what.

“How would you like to travel to the Fire Nation for one week and just relax on the beach and enjoy exotic cuisine?” Korra asked.

“That sounds fantastic!” Asami’s green eyes widened in surprise. The darker girl felt warmth wash over her as she took in the pretty sight. She blinked when her girlfriend snapped her fingers in her face, laughing lightly. “What does that have to do with the opportunity you just heard about?”

Korra got up from her seat on the couch, placing her hands behind her back, rocking back and forth on her heels with a smug smile. “We would be able to do this…for free,” she announced.

“Free?” the raven-haired girl repeated. She raised an eyrbow, a disbelieving smirk set upon her features. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced at her girlfriend, motioning with her head to finish her sentence or to let her in on the joke. “A week’s vacation in the Fire Nation for _free_?” she reiterated. “We don’t have to pay for anything?”

“Not at all.”

Asami’s excitement instantly faded. Korra watched her bright green eyes slowly turn a shade darker with worry. “That sounds really strange, Korra. Who told you about this opportunity?”

“Tahno.” The raven-haired girl groaned. Tahno and Asami didn’t get along at all. Korra just barely tolerated him as a neighbor, but would go out for drinks with him every once in a while just to leave her problems behind. Asami always felt like he was a bad influence, and even though he hasn’t given her a reason to doubt her as of late, she still had her reservations. She’s never kept her disdain of Tahno a secret, so much that she is polite to is his face but the minute he leaves a room, or a door closes, she lets her frustrations known to everyone in the room, not even minding the fact that he cwas potentially still in earshot. “It’s how he goes out partying all the time, and how he owns those great clothes.” Korra snatched the envelope off of the table and opened it, holding it wide so Asami could see the contents that was nestle in it. “Look at this,” she prompted.

“Oh my, that’s a lot of money!”

“It’s not like you’ve never seen this much,” Korra commented, a slight trace of bitterness was laced with each word; entwined with each letter. Asami exhaled sharply through her nose, instantly frowning. The darker girl slowly put the money back into the envelope, letting her sudden silence act as an apology.

Asami’s father, Hiroshi Sato, ran the biggest industrial chain in Republic City, soon to be branching out into three other nations. He is one of the wealthiest men in the world, and had very limited contact with his daughter. After the passing of his wife, Yasuko, in an attempted robbery gone wrong, he spent a majority of his time working, and a small part of his time taking interested in his daughter. While she was being groomed to take over the company from him in a year, when she turned twenty-one, she was barely a second thought. The young engineer wasn’t allowed to touch her bank account without his prior notice. It was to be saved for when she took over the company, in the meantime she was to receive an allowance every week.

His tight fist over her assets wasn’t just a business decision but also a personal one. It wasn’t because she resembled her late mother, but his old-fashioned ways while being stuck in a progressive moment of time. Not one to be religious, he was a stickler for appearance, and having his one, and only, next of kin be bisexual threatened to besmirch his empire. Of course, he remained tight lipped as she dated a small variety of men. It wasn’t until Korra walked past the threshold of the Sato Mansion, Asami found herself in a nice (enough) one person apartment in the heart of Republic City.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Korra said gently. She walked over to her girlfriend, sitting down n front of her knees, before pulling her close, wrapping her arms around her waist. Resting her head right underneath Asami’s chin, she pressed her ear to her chest listening to her heartbeat gradually slowing down. The mere mention of her father caused the taller girl to get worked up.

“It’s okay,” Asami said quietly. “If I were in your position, I would probably act the same way.” Korra pulled away, but not before pressing a light kiss to the underside of Asami’s chin, one of her favorite spots. The raven haired girl leaned back into the couch, eyeing the white envelope sitting on the coffee table. “Is all you have to do go and live carefree in the Fire Nation and then come back?” she murmured. Korra was seated on the ground, peeling off Asami’s high heels before gently massaging the soles of her feet. Every day after her shift was complete at Future Industries, Asami would walk a few blocks to Korra’s apartment where was met with food, relaxing conversation, and a nice foot rub from her very generous girlfriend. 

“Yes!” Korra looked up at Asami with a bright smile, probably one of the brightest she had given in a long time. “Look, I can ask Tahno for more details-”

“No, it’s okay.” The raven haired girl waved a hand in the air. Korra gently placed Asami’s right foot to the ground before picking up her left foot, massaging it. The engineer’s eyelids fluttered as she relaxed into the cushions against her back. “I’ll go with you the next time you talk to him.”

Korra instantly dropped her foot. Asami pouted in response as the darker girl reclaimed the seat next to her. “I’m sure everything is fine,” she said, her blue eyes piercing green. “I would never do anything to make you worry. Not on purpose, anyway.”

Asami giggled into her palm before leaning over, pressing a light kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek. Her smile widened when she noticed the light blush on her dark cheeks. “No, I want to do it too. I mean, sure, my dad is paying for my apartment and some odds and ends, but I can’t live off of these allowances while also working at Future Industries.” She rested her elbow on the back of the couch, propped her head up on her fist. She sighed hard, rolling her eyes. “If I’m working I should be paid accordingly, but he has his account wrapped around his finger. Hell, he has this entire city wrapped around his damn finger.” Korra lovingly rubber her knee. “Anyway, I haven’t had a day off from work in about six years, and I’d make some extra money at the same time.”

“I thought you liked getting your hands dirty,” Korra commented. She took Asami’s hand and started to play with it, entwining their fingers.

“I do, but this amazing opportunity just came up. Before, I didn’t really have a reason to take time off, and who would let this pass by?”

Korra let out a giant yell of excitement before jumping to her feet. She clapped her hands together before facing Asami with another big smile. “Let’s go out to dinner and celebrate. Things are finally looking up for me…,” she paused, a smirk making its way onto her face, “and I’ll get to see you in a bikini all week.”

Asami ran her tongue down the inside of her left cheek, smiling. “If we even leave the hotel room.” She winked.

“I have always wanted to have real sex on the beach,” Korra said, tapping her a finger to her chin. The raven-haired girl reached out and playfully swatted her girlfriend on the leg. “Hey, I don’t want it to be that stupid drink. How was I supposed to know it had the same name?”

Asami threw her head back and laughed loudly at the memory. The two had gone out for drinks with their two friends, Mako and Bolin, one night to celebrate their two-year anniversary. Korra turned so red when she was told the real meaning behind the name of the drink, it was as if she had received a sunburn from the dark lighting in the bar. She had to endure constant jokes about it for a few weeks at Bolin’s insistence, not that she didn’t deserve it. It was perfect payback after the time Korra had accidentally burned off Bolin’s eyebrows from a prank involving a firework. “You should have seen your face,” she panted, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Well excuse me for living in a sheltered community as a child.” Korra crossed her arms over her chest, growling in faux anger. “Now, do you want to go out and get something to eat or just stay here and watch me pack for the best vacation we will both ever have?” she asked.

“How about we order something, and you sit here and watch _me_ pack _for_ you, since we both know it’ll eventually end up that way,” Asami countered. The one thing she had grown custom to while dating Korra was that she was a terrible packer. The girl would wait until the last minute to gather up items for a trip, throw them haphazardly into any bag she found, and live out of the bag for the entire duration of the trip, only upon reaching her destination, realizing that she had forgotten to pack a few crucial items like pajamas or underwear.

“Well, it would actually give me an excuse to stare at your ass.” Korra rapidly raised her eyebrows.

“As if you ever need an excuse,” Asami answered. “That’s more of a compliment for myself than pointing out that you have a problem,” she added cheekily. Korra laughed, taking a small step forward before holding her hand out; her girlfriend instantly placed her palm in Korra’s dark hand. Korra then placed a light kiss to the back of her hand, her wrist, and her arm, slowly moving up, peppering light kisses against the pale skin she could find, before pressing her lips against ruby red ones.

“I love you,” Korra said, her voice filled with compassion.

“I love you,” Asami whispered, pressing her forehead against Korra’s. She gently nuzzled the darker girl’s face with her nose.

“Guess what?”

“What?”

“We’re going on vacation!” Korra shouted, scooping Asami up in her arms. The raven-haired girl laughed wildly, as she was spun in circles. She tilted her head back, allowing her long hair to float freely. Eventually Korra slowed down, wracked with laughter as she stumbled from a lack of balance. She collapsed onto the couch, with her girlfriend still in her arms. Asami rested her head on Korra’s shoulder, snuggling into her warmth. “This is going to be the best vacation ever.”

**.: Present Day :.**

“I wasn’t thinking about the questions I didn’t ask,” Korra said, shrugging her shoulders. “If I were smart, I would have demanded to hear about every single detail about his trips and the funding.” She paused, running a hand over her mouth. Her blue eyes looked over to the wings of the stage, glancing at Tenzin. He nodded once. She returned the gesture before bringing the microphone back to her lips. Her breathing echoed around the room; quiet chirps emerged from behind her lips as she started, and quickly stopped, forming a new sentence. Korra breathed sharply through her nose, inhaling the distinct smells of dust, gum, and coffee, before quietly exhaling. “I wanted to ask questions about everything…but I didn’t. I was young, I was in love, and I was tired. Not physically, but mentally tired of everything going wrong. I just wanted to give my girl something special, and being paid for it at the same time is a dream job.”

“But most importantly, I was stupid. In that moment, I was the stupidest son of a bitch on the entire planet, because I was looking for a short term fix to a long term problem.” Korra’s hand gripped the microphone tighter, her palm with her exertion. Her words started to come out like rapid fire, shooting the audience with its intensity. “Listen, you may be valedictorian, you may graduate with honors, you may win a the Peace Prize, you may achieve a job with a six figure salary within two years, you may marry the man or woman of your dreams….but you can still be the stupidest person on the planet, just from making one life changing mistake.”

“I didn’t learn this lesson the hard way. I learned it…the severe way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is based off of the show, Locked Up Abroad (or Banged Up Abroad, depending on where you live) and it is my first time writing something with this subject matter which is why it is Rated M. I decided to write this, not only because I got inspiration from the show, but to also work on my description, especially with emotion, and to work on my writing style. I wanted to write something darker and gritter than all of the fluff I usually write. This way, I can expand on my writing style and range.
> 
> Tags/Characters/Relationships will gradually be updated with each chapter installation.
> 
> knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com


	2. Chapter 2

“I want to see a show of hands,” Korra said, getting to her feet. “If you were told that you could go on vacation for free for a week, through someone you mildly trusted, and you were paid thousands of dollars upon your return, would you go?” She paused, looking out at the audience amongst the bright lights. A few people shifted in their seats, some coughed, but no one raised their hands. “Why don’t you close your eyes? Okay…you are in desperate need of money, and you would be paid to go to a tropical location…now raise your hands.”

Korra couldn’t help but smile to herself as many people in the audience lifted a hand. She waited a few seconds, looking out at the sea of faces before instructing them to put their arms back and down and opening her eyes. “I want you all to give yourselves a round of applause,” she said into the microphone before tucking it underneath her arm. She clapped loudly, she clapped long and hard until her palms hurt, ushering the audience to do the same; which they did follow instructions, albeit with confused looks. “Congratulations, you all are the biggest fucking morons on the planet,” she called out.

A loud murmur instantly broke out as the clapping ceased. “Don’t worry, I’m right there with you. Besides, you all didn’t ruin your lives.” Korra gave a sardonic laugh. “You still have the future ahead of you, will I have the biggest mark on my record.”

**.: Three Weeks Earlier :.**

Asami tightly gripped Korra’s hand as they entered Tahno’s apartment. She winced, coughing, as the heavy smell of drugs and smoke blanketed the room. Korra’s eyes burned as she followed him into the living room. The two sat down on the empty couch, politely declining an offer of beer.

“So-”

“Hang on,” Tahno lightly ordered. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Who?” Asami asked.

“The man paying for your trip.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. Balancing it in between his lips, he pulled out a lighter, flicked on the flam, and lit the end, taking two puffs. Korra coughed and waved away the fumes. Asami buried her nose into her girlfriend’s neck, deeply inhaling her scent to cover the smell of the drugs.

Tahno held up a finger after a swift knock came from the other side of his door. Korra leaned back into the couch, relaxing into the cushions. Asami snuggled up next to her, happily toying with her girlfriend’s fingers on her right hand. The door to the apartment opened and slammed shut, soon followed by the sounds of two sets of footsteps: one light and the other very heavy.

Korra swallowed hard as Tahno and his guest sauntered into the room. The man had a shaved head, a deep scowl, and scar that cut through his left eyebrow. Asami’s smile instantly faded when she regarded the burly man. Korra slipped her hand into her girlfriend’s palm, squeezing it tightly before standing to greet the gentleman.

“Zaheer,” he said coolly. Korra shook his hand, wincing at the crushing intensity before reclaiming her seat. Tahno offered Zaheer a cigarette which he silently accepted. The older man placed the cigarette in between his fingers and held it out to Tahno, who quickly lit the end. “You will get spending money on this trip. Use it however you like.”

Tahno jumped when Zaheer snapped his fingers. He leaned forward, pulling a drawer open from the coffee table and grabbed a white envelope. Handing it to Korra, he slumped in his seat, taking a drag from his cigarette with a shaking hand.

“Wow, I don’t think we could spend this much,” Korra commented as she opened the envelope, pulling out the wad full of yuan. Asami took it from her hands and began to count it underneath her breath.

“You’re not going to rob me are you?” he demanded.

Asami jumped at the harshness of his voice. Korra tensed up, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, leaning forward. She glared harshly at Zaheer, not breaking eye contact. “What would we rob you of?”

Tahno loudly cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, jerking his head to the side. Zaheer glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow, before looking back at the two girls. He let out a chuckle before rubbing his chin, smiling gently. “Rob me of a good vacation. I just want to hear all about it when you get back, he said gruffly. “I was originally going to go on this trip but things came up.”

“So, are you in?” Tahno asked.

“How much will we be paid?” Korra demanded.

“25,000 yuan,” Zaheer answered. “Each.”

“Sounds good to me,” Korra said with a shrug. She turned towards Asami, nudging her knee with her own. “I won’t do it if you don’t want to.”

Asami pulled her lips into a straight line. She looked over at Zaheer and Tahno, quietly talking to each other, taking drags from the cigarettes perched on their lips. Korra waited patiently as she watched the gears turning in her girlfriend’s head. Slowly, the engineer’s lips formed into a timid smile, soon blooming into a dazzling grin. “Let’s go on a vacation.”

\---

Korra and Asami had the time of their lives on their vacation to Ember Island. During the few times they actually left the hotel, they spent time on the beach soaking up the sun’s rays or trying the cuisine from small food carts or locally owned restaurants. With their bellies full and their worries gone for the week, the couple disregarded time. Their electronic were turned off, and they easily moved from one activity to the other. 

Walking hand-in-hand, they made their way to the lobby of their hotel, waiting to meet up with another couple, Ghazan and Ming-hua. They had met when Ming-hua knocked on Korra’s and Asam’s hotel door late at night during the earlier part of their vacation, after a session of intense love-making, yelling loudly about her lack of sleep, before wondering which position Korra had Asami in to make her as satisfied as she sounded through the thin walls.

While apologizing, the dark girl had noticed the neighbor didn’t have any arms, blurting out her discovery which Asami reprimanded her for. Ghazan appeared next to Ming-hua, pressing a kiss to her temple before introducing themselves. During the week, the two couples ended up going on numerous double dates, taking in the sights and attractions that Ember Island had to offer. Korra would ask numerous questions about Ming-hua’s condition, to Asami’s embarrassment, but the older couple handled her inquiry with ease. 

After a shopping trip, to which Ghazan and Korra both fought against from the beginning, Asami had invited them up to their hotel room for tea, in thanks for being her and Korra’s guide during their vacation. It was pretty clear, that this was to lead to something else, especially since Asami and Ming-hua refused to show their respective partners what was in some of the bags they obtained. During the shopping trip, Korra and Ghazan conversed outside of the store as their partners shopped.

Ghazan and Ming-hua had agreed to the plans, but wanted to meet up a few hours later since they had already had arrangements they needed to tend to. When the older couple finally entered the hotel lobby, Ghazan had a brown satchel strung across his shoulder. The four chatted animatedly about keeping in touch with each other when Korra and Asami left to return to Republic City the next day.

Upon arriving to Korra’s and Asami’s hotel room, Ming-hua curled up onto the couch, glancing over at Korra as Asami made herself busy, preparing tea in the kitchen. Ghazan immediately walked over to the closet, throwing the doors open and grabbing their suitcases.

“What are you doing?” Korra demanded, getting up to her feet. Ming-hua swung her foot out, knocking it into the darker girl’s left ankle, causing her to fall to the ground. Asami rushed into the room, running over to her girlfriend, helping her to her feet. “What’s going on?”

“We just need some reassurance,” Ghazan answered, pulling a red and blue suitcase out of the closet. He dumped them to the floor and Ming-hua began to rummage around in the zippers, using her toes to unfasten them.

“Reassurance for what?” Asami demanded. She moved to push Ming-hua away from their bags, but stilled when she heard a soft click from above. She looked up and shrank back in fear when she spotted Ghazan standing over her, holding a pocket knife in the direction of her throat. She took a deep breath, nodding slowly before turning around.

Her dark hair flew wildly in the air as she rapidly turned around, her leg up in a locked position, outstretching her foot towards Ghazan’s head. He barely blinked before stepping forward, holding the knife firmly in his hand, sending it directly into her foot. He twisted the knife before dragging it up from the heel to in between her third and fourth toes. A squelching sound emitted from the silent room as he pulled the knife back out. Her pale skin instantly flooded with dark red blood, a coppery smell misted the room. Ghazan lifted his hand, watching the blood drip down the steel knife onto his wrist.

Korra flinched as she heard the cry of agony emit from behind Asami’s lips. Blood spurted into the air, dripping onto the coffee table, staining the white carpet. The pale girl slumped to the ground, clutching her foot as huge tears spilled down her cheeks. The bottom of her right foot had been sliced open, dark red blood spilled down her ankle, coating her skin in a thick layer.

“Let us do our job,” he said darkly. Ghazan’s eyes flickered to the bloody knife in his hands. Glancing down at his nice pants, he let out a soft curse before sticking his tongue out. He ran the pink appendage up one side of the metal blade, licking off the blood, before doing the same to the other side. Korra watched in disgust before ripping off her shirt and wrapping it around the bottom of Asami’s wounded foot. She secured it tightly at the top of her girlfriend’s foot with a knot, putting as much pressure as possible on the wound to try and stop the bleeding. “Stop crying!” he roared.

Asami took in big gulps of air, slowly calming herself down. Korra wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up, helping her over to the couch. The two sat down and clasped their hands together, watching as Ming-hua pulled out their passports and plane tickets, holding them in between in toes.

Ghazan plucked them from her feet before placing them into the waist pant of his pants. He closed his pocket knife with a snap before sitting on the couch opposite of the two young women. Ming-hua dragged the bag he brought into the hotel room up next to him before sitting on his left, nailing the two girls with a smirk.

“We need you take a small package back for us to Republic City,” he said with a shrug, “A present for Tahno.” Ghazan reached into his bag, glancing around the room. Ming-hua peered out the window and looked up at the strip of stores, her harsh eyes scanning for other people. It was then Korra had realized they were the only people in the area. Everything had suddenly gone quiet, even the waves lapping at the shore. Asami’s breathing, and the sudden increase of her pulse, was the only sounds racing through her ears.

Ghazan pulled out a small brown package, wrapped up in a light blue bandana. He held it out to Korra, slipping it into her hands. The darker girl looked at him in confusion before pulling at the taping on the package. She couldn’t help but gasp loudly as she dumped the contents of the package into her hands: powdered cactus root.

Powdered Cactus Root is an illegal substance in Republic City, made that way after an event in Councilman Sokka’s life. Korra had heard stories about the hallucinogenic properties in cactus, but didn’t really believe them until she attended Republic City University during her freshmen year. It was on the rise with the college students, those who just wanted to escape the pressures of life, and create their own realities. When a major bust was led by Chief Lin Beifong, from an anonymous tip, the entire junior class was found to be abusing the substance and expelled from the school. Korra had never touched or seen the substance but she had heard stories and seen the side effects from crashing from the high.

“Why would we-“

“You give that to Tahno, you get your 25,000 yuan,” Ming-hua hissed.

Korra swallowed hard, licking her lips. “We…we didn’t know about this when agreeing to take the trip. It was supposed to be free-”

“How do you think this trip is paid for?” Ghazan snapped. “If you don’t bring this back, then you’re stealing from us. From Zaheer, and you wouldn’t want that,” he added gruffly.

Korra felt her stomach dip. They were trapped, stuck in this situation that could only get worse from this point. She clenched her hand tightly around the package, causing a few bits of the substance to fall onto the floor. Ming-hua growled angrily. Korra quickly wrapped up the package before slipping it into her pocket.

Asami shifted, pressing hard into Korra’s side, placing her hand on her girlfriend’s knee. While this may have looked like a normal gesture, Korra knew otherwise. The darker girl could feel her shaking, a light sweat breaking out on the palm of her hands. She placed an arm around Asami’s shoulders, pulling her closer and pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

“Don’t worry. Everything will be okay,” she whispered into the pale girl’s ear. Although raising an eyebrow, exuding confidence, Korra was right there with her girlfriend, shaking hard on the inside, her breathing become ragged; but, all the while, she remained stoic. Her eyes hardened as Ghazan’s calm smile, while still set on his face, carried something sinister just below the surface.

**.: Present Day :.**

“It wasn’t like I had much of a choice, except to take the package. They had our passports, our identification. We were stuck…but I only cared about the money.” Korra’s voice became scratchy, giving out at very random times. She pushed on, moved forward, because she had an important story to tell. She had to get her voice out there. “At that point, I should have walked away, but I only focused on the money.”

“I focused on paying off all of my bills and spoiling my girlfriend. I focused on ways I could pay my parents back for putting me through school. If I hadn’t let my greed consume me, then I’d be sitting where you all are, listening to this speech, silently wondering how this would ever happen to me and when I can leave to go get something to eat. It can happen to you. To any of you.”

Korra turned towards the wings of the stage, motioning with her hand the twisting of a knob. Tenzin gave her a thumbs up before moving a switch on a panel along the wall, slowly dimming the lights. The dark girl half-smiled when she was fully able to finally see the audience. She took a sweep of the room, from the right to the left, soaking in the attentiveness of the younger people while turning with rage on the inside at the smirks from the older generation.

“I can see the looks on your faces: some of you are unfazed because you expected this to happen…because of my background and my skin color.” Her words were tight and clipped. She gripped the microphone tighter. “Asami is the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, one of the most powerful people in the city.” Korra bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. An image of Asami floated across her mind, her brilliant green eyes, her dazzling smile, her loving voice…the girl she fell in love with, whom she once envisioned marrying. “She has the money, the looks...everything,” Korra said quietly, slowly opening her eyes. “I didn’t push her into this….situation, she was a willing participant. Just like me. So you see, it can happen to you, if you are given the right yuan amount. Boy…we were given the perfect amount.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


	3. Chapter 3

  
**.: Two Weeks Earlier :.**

Asami rolled over onto her side. She inhaled slowly before exhaling in one loud movement. Korra kept still as she stared up at the ceiling in the dark room. Passing car's headlights would skirt across the walls, momentarily lighting up the dark. Korra rolled over and flicked on the lamp by the bed. "Can't sleep?" she asked. She knew it was a redundant question since Asami had been moving and sighing for the last twenty minutes.

"No," Asami answered. She turned to face her girlfriend, wincing and shielding her eyes from the bright light. Korra couldn't help but stare at her girlfriend. Even with fear etched into her eyes, no makeup, and with messy bed head, she look as beautiful as ever. It was a rare sight to see.

When Korra went to sleep and woke up, Asami always looked her best. Why the engineer insisted on getting up before Korra woke to fix herself up was a mystery to her, but she found herself attracted to the girl in any state, even if Asami didn't want Korra to see her with a naked face.

Guilt slammed Korra's throat shut, her eyes misting over. She blinked rapidly before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her girlfriend's forehead. "Korra, I'm really scared," Asami admitted. She closed her eyes when she felt her girlfriend's lips press to her forehead. She snuggled in closer, resting her head on Korra's chest, entwining their fingers.

"I know, and it's all my fault," she mumbled. A stray tear slid down her cheek. Asami reached up and wiped it away with her thumb, her hand still holding her girlfriend's. She shook her head slowly underneath Korra's chin.

"No, it's not," she whispered. Korra felt a lump rise up in her throat when she heard her girlfriend's voice crack. She closed her eyes, pulling Asami tighter into her chest, moving her leg so that she draped it over the pale ones next to her underneath the bedding. "I decided to do this too," she mumbled.

"But, I'm supposed to protect you," Korra answered. She fought back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Asami moved her head from underneath her girlfriend's chin, looking into her face. The light from the lamp reflected in the salt trails on her dark cheeks. "I'm not supposed to drag you down with me. I'm not supposed to be a disappointment."

Asami pulled her hand out of Korra's grip and placed them lightly on her dark cheeks. As tears spilled down her own face, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to each of her girlfriend's eyelids, before placing a light kiss on the tip of her nose, and then finally on the lips. "Korra," she sniffed, her green eyes slowly turning gold, "you're not a disappointment."

"Because of me we're in this terrible mess." Korra wiped the tears from Asami's cheeks, chuckling in spite of the situation as more fell, replacing the old salt trails. "We could just be working right now and living our usual lives."

"And usual can be boring sometimes." Asami swallowed hard before pressing their foreheads together. "We both took a risk, a big one, and now we have to face it." She offered up a smile, which quickly faded as her nose began to run. Korra wiped the mucus away with the side of her hand. "Together, just like we faced everything else."

Korra nodded, but didn't respond. The laid in silence in the bed. The only sounds coming from the refrigerator and the passing cars outside of the hotel. "Do you remember when we first met?" Asami asked after a moment.

Korra chuckled, her shoulders shaking. Her girlfriend giggled into her girlfriend's neck. She kissed Asami's forehead, a gently smile formed on her lips. "It was when Mako invited you to watch that football game with him, me and Bolin."

"You hated me," Asami mumbled.

"I would have hated anyone that Mako brought," she admitted. "But you, you were so pretty, a sight to behold. I didn't think it was possible that you were real." She inhaled slowly, letting her breath seep past her lips to fill the room. "I felt like he upgraded or something from when we dated."

"I tried so hard to become your friend," she added with a smile.

"It all worked out though, I think." Korra stared up at the ceiling, her eyes followed a crack that stretched from a corner towards the center of the plaster. She scoffed, rolling her eyes. For such a nice room, she found it interesting and somewhat ironic that there was a crack in the ceiling. It showed that even some of the nicest things could be hiding a secret.

"I remember our first date," Asami added.

"Where everything went wrong," she laughed. Korra had asked Asami out on a date to a trip to the local carnival. To try and show Asami how great of a date she could be, they went on as many rides as possible. She ignored the churning of her stomach, wanting to spend as much time with the engineer as possible. Eventually she puked on one of the rides, a bit of it landed on Asami's leg and her shoes. The engineer didn't mind, she calmly cleaned herself up and nursed Korra back to health. Afterwards, when she was feeling better, Korra played one of the numerous booth games where you had to be the first pop three balloons with a toy gun. Korra narrowly beat a six-year-old by a fraction of a second, who threw a fit. The mother of the child repeatedly smacked her with a purse, demanding to let her child win the stuffed polar bear prize.

Later during the evening, they ended up running into a clown which they didn't find too amusing. The actor didn't take a liking to their critique and followed them around, demanding to show the two various tricks. Korra and Asami escaped his pursuit inside a house of mirrors, which they inevitably got in for roughly an hour. Finally, to top it all off, when they decided to ride the Ferris Wheel, the ride broke down and they were stranded at the very top. The night ended nicely, though, since they had a fantastic view of the fireworks show, and they shared their first kiss.

"It makes for a good story, though," Asami said with a shrug.

Korra nuzzled her girlfriend, rubbing their noses, mixing their tears together. Asami tried to pull away, mentioning her need to wipe her face, but Korra continued to press into her face, smearing some of the mucus around. Korra took in a deep breath before opening her eyes, staring straight into the golden orbs in front of her. Her chest swelled up with sudden comfort. "No matter what happens, I love you, Asami," she said.

Asami stiffened, her breath catching. She instantly pulled away from their embrace. Sitting up she used the sheet to wipe her face clean before wrapping her arms around her covered knees. Korra leaned up on her hand, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Asami's exposed shoulder blade. She recoiled from the touch. "Don't," she demanded.

"What?" Korra asked, her voice raspy.

"You're talking as if we'll never see each other again." Asami moved away even more when Korra tried to wrap an arm around her shoulder. The dark girl sighed hard, glancing down at the comforter, running a finger along the seams.

"We might not."

"Stop it!" Asami screeched. She turned and jabbed a finger into Korra's chest. Her face turned red, her golden eyes sharp and narrow, her jaw clenched. "Don't you dare say that!"

Korra calmly took a hold of Asami's hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles, the back of her hand, her wrist. "Asami, we have to face reality," she answered. Her blue eyes were enveloped by a red ring, turning them a slight shade darker. Korra's tears were gone but guilt and worry was still carried on her face, weighing heavily in her eyebrows, and her lips, pulling them into a frown. "We are in big trouble here, there's no point in denying it." Asami's breathing evened out as Korra placed her hand around her girlfriend's, gently rubbing them back and forth, creating a warm friction. "You have to know how I feel."

Asami nodded once. She brushed her hair off of her shoulder and half-smiled when Korra pressed a light kiss to her collarbone. While pulling away, she reached out and placed her hand on Korra's cheek. Asami lightly kissed Korra, a tear slipped off of her cheek and slid down Korra's chin. "Don't let go of me for the rest of the night," she whispered.

Korra gently shook her head. "I won't." Asami smiled before kissing her once more. When they pulled apart she placed another kiss on her girlfriend's lips, and another, and another, before finally they didn't break apart. Asami moved her head from Korra's cheek to the back of her neck, lightly scratching the skin. Korra exhaled sharply through her nose before wrapping her arms around the engineer's waist.

Asami moved so that she straddled Korra's lap before pressing forward, shifting her body weight. The dark girl leaned backward, her head resting against the pillow, her brown hair fanned out, as she continued to slowly move her lips along Asami's, never wanting to part. She moved her hands down her girlfriend's back, her nails lightly tracing over the bumps and ridges of her spine, over her nightgown and to the curve of her backside, wanting to remember every inch of her.

Korra pulled away, gasping for air. Asami smiled down into her face, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. She pressed a light kiss to the tip of Korra's nose, before bumping her's against it, giving her an eskimo kiss. The engineer paused when Korra took on a serious look, more serious than she had ever seen before. Her blue eyes no longer danced with mischief. Korra placed both hands on Asami's cheeks, pressing kisses to her cheek bones.

"I love you, Asami," she declared. A stray tear slid from her right eye, down her cheek. "I love you so much."

Asami wilted at her compassion. She took one of Korra's hands and placed a firm kiss to her knuckles. "I love you," she whispered. Pressing another kiss to her wrist, she then began to pepper light touches down her arm, over ever curve of her muscles, into the juncture of her neck and over her chin. Asami sat up, straddling her girlfriend's lap once more before grabbing the bottom of Korra's shirt, tugging lightly.

Korra sat up, and lifted her arms, helping Asami pull her shirt off. The engineer kissed her, but this time with more intensity. Her tongue brushed against Korra's bottom lip, the saltiness of her tears adding an additional flavor. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's waist, rubbing small circles along her lower back.

"Are you sure?" Korra asked, once they broke apart once more. A few of Asami's tears dripped off of her pale cheeks and onto Korra's face. Asami reached up and brushed off the long jacket of her nightgown, tossing it to the floor. "This will be our first time. I mean...it feels more real than any other time."

Asami smiled, her lips twitching. She sniffed and Korra again wiped the mucus away with her wrist. She wiped her eyes fear of tears, before looking down at Korra, sharing her intensity. "Yes. If this is to be our last night together, I want it to be now." She reached out and brushed Korra's bangs out of her face. "I love you so much, it hurts. Let me show you." She bit her bottom lip. "Please."

"Okay." Korra nodded.

"Let me go and freshen up," Asami said. She moved to climb off of the bed but stopped when she felt Korra wrap her arms around her waist, holding her tightly.

"No." Korra shook her head. "Just stay here."

"I look-"

"You look beautiful," Korra whispered. Asami smiled once more, crying out of happiness. She reached up and brushed the straps of her nightgown off of her shoulders. Korra leaned up and pressed a kiss to each collarbone as her girlfriend leaned over and switched off the lamp.


	4. Chapter 4

**.: Two Weeks Earlier :.**

Asami groaned quietly as the sun shined through the blinds, directly onto her face. She winced as she slowly cracked her eyes open. Staring at Korra's dark arm, and a little puddle of drool in the crook of her krelbow, she took a deep breath, moving a bit closer into Korra's warmth. Asami made a light sound of content when Korra leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Asami looked up into Korra's face, her eyes scanning the dark bangs and lines of worry. She reached out and rand her fingers lightly down Korra's cheek. "Did you get any sleep last night?" she whispered.

"No," Korra muttered. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Asami smiled gently before turning her attention to the window. Peering through the blinds, she watched – entranced – by the waves crashing along the beach. Two seagulls skirted across the surface, flying circles around each other. A dolphin's dorsal fin would sporadically breach from underneath the water, carving out a path through the foam.

"What are you thinking about?" Korra asked. "I can see the wheels turning in your eyes."

"It's hard to believe that it could be so luxurious and peaceful out there…"

"And in here, we're about to end up in a shit storm."

A loud banging erupted on the door to their hotel room, causing Asami to jump. She groaned loudly burying her face into Korra's neck. Korra wrapped her arms around Asami, holding her as tightly as she can. "Everything will be okay," Korra whispered.

The banging never ceased. It just grew louder and harsher. The paintings on the wall began to shake from the force. Asami snuggled even closer to Korra, her hot breath coating her girlfriend's neck. "You can't promise that," she pointed out.

"I'm not promising it," Korra answered. She began to lightly trail her fingernails across Asami's bare back, in between her shoulder blades, in random shapes, trying to calm her down. "Things _will_ be okay."

Once the banging stopped, Korra felt Asami inhale sharply, not moving. Korra slowly closed her eyes, waiting for the banging to go away, wishing for her heat rate to slow down, hoping that everything that was happening was simply a dream, and she'd wake up inside her apartment in Republic City. While she originally thought of it as a dump, she now views it as a sanctuary, her one safe heaven to escape. Her heart sank when she heard the beeping of the key lock before the door flung open.

Asami sat up, grasping the comforter to her chest as she scanned the floor looking for her nightgown. Korra tugged on the sheets, wrapping it around herself, and tying a knot at the side of her left breast, as heavy footsteps moved from room to room. Their bedroom door flung open, slamming into the wall behind it, punching a hole where, causing the door handle to become nestled in the plaster.

Ghazan peered over at the two of them before smirking. Asami rolled her eyes, clenching her jaw, as Korra slowly curled her fingers into fists. "Get dressed," he barked. Asami licked her lips before swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Ghazan stepped forward and bent down, reaching a hand out for her foot.

Korra instantly climbed off of the bed, grabbed Ghazan by the shoulders and pushed him back. "Don't touch her," she snarled. He stumbled back a few inches, startled by the sudden shift in his weight. Ming-Hua rushed into the room, glaring over at Korra, who stared back with malice.

"I just want to check her foot," he said slowly. Korra looked over at Asami, who was slipping her nightgown back on. Asami fluffed her hair up from beneath the collar, catching her girlfriend's eyed. Korra watched Asami, looking into her green eyes as they contemplated different scenarios.

Finally, Asami slowly shook her head, before glancing over at Ghazan with disdain. "Its fine," she answered.

"Ming-hua has studied medicine," Ghazan pressed. "She can help." His voice was gentler than Korra and Asami had heard since they had first met the pair during their vacation. The only time they had heard him speak so softly was when he would speak with Ming-Hua, complimenting her. Of course, that was most likely a rare occurrence in itself, since they had only spent an afternoon with the older couple and he only gave her a compliment once in their vicinity.

"I don't want your help," Asami said firmly, slightly raising her chin. Ming-Hua rolled her eyes before scoffing.

"Very well. Pick out the clothes you're going to wear. I'll pack up your things." He crossed his arms over his chest.

"But, these aren't our bags-"

"Now!" Korra and Asami scrambled around the room, looking for something to wear. Once they found something suitable, Ghazan stepped out of the room, before reappearing with two black, worn down suitcases. Dumping them onto the floor, he opened each suitcase. Ghazan paused when he noticed every woman in the room was watching him. He scoffed before storming over to a dresser, wrenching the drawers open.

Asami clutched her clothing to her chest as he began to throw some of their clothing into the empty suitcases. "What are you waiting for?" he barked when he noticed Korra and Asami continuing to stare at him. "Get to it."

"I can't change in here with you," Asami said, her voice slightly shaking. Her bravado disappeared instantly.

"Hurry up. I'm not paying attention."

"She is," Korra pointed out, nodding over towards Ming-Hua, who smirked in response.

"Yesterday, you didn't have a problem with the idea of us having an orgy," he snarled. "What's the issue now?" Korra bit back a response. She knew he was right, but didn't want to admit to verbally admit to it. Ghazan let out a growl of frustration, dropping an armload with of clothing into each of the suitcases. "Would you rather have me watch?"

Korra and Asami shared a look before turning around. Korra noticed Asami's hands shaking out of the corner of her eyes. Asami stared down at the ground as she changed her clothing, missing every reassuring glance Korra tried to share with her. Korra had never been one to be embarrassed about her body. Spending a majority of her time in locker rooms, taking showers, or changing in and out of bathing suits, had made her much more comfortable around other people potentially sneaking a look. However, she was filled with rage at the idea of someone watching Asami. She could tell by the slight pause in between trips back and forth from the suitcases that Ghazan went back on his word, which sent ire shooting through her veins.

"Hurry up, or you'll miss your flight," Ming-Hua hissed. Korra quickly finished getting dressed and turned to see Asami fumbling with the buttons to her jacket. Her dark hair was covering her pale face, but Korra knew that she was struggling not to cry. Korra walked over and gently placed her hands on top of Asami's. Lifting her head a bit, Asami looked into Korra's face, relaxing a bit when she locked gaze with her girlfriend's blue eyes. Korra gave her a light kiss before reaching out and buttoning up the jacket.

"Let's go," Ming-Hua ordered. Korra placed an arm around Asami's waist, pulling her in close, as the two turned around and walked over to the suitcases. Korra frowned when she glanced down at their luggage. A large square poked out of the top of the suitcase. Korra bent down, pressing her fingers against the large square.

"What is that?" Asami demanded, pointing at the square.

"You're luggage," Ghazan answered with a shrug.

"No, we can't do this."

"The drugs are obvious," Korra added as she got to her feet. "You have to repack the bags." Ming-Hua and Ghazan shared an impatiently look. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. Asami swallowed hard, taking a small step back. She winced as the pain from her injured foot shot up her leg.

"You'll be fine," Ming-Hua said.

"They'll think it's a book," Ghazan added.

"What if they don't?" Asami wondered.

Ghazan flipped the knife back into the handle of the pocket knife, before stuffing it into his pocket. He bent down and picked up each suitcase by its handle, rolling them over to Korra and Asami, and forcibly shoved them bags into their legs. "Then you'd better sell it to them. Let's go!"

Korra helped Asami limp out of the room to the elevator, and then over to the front desk so they could heck out. While Asami talked to the concierge at the front desk, Korra looked around the lobby for an exit. Not that it would have done her much good if she were able to locate one. Ming-Hua and Ghazan still held onto their passports and plane tickets.

After the checkout process was complete, Ming-Hua and Ghazan led the Korra and Asami outside to a small yellow car. Ghazan opened the passenger side door for Ming-Hua before grabbing the suitcases and placing them into the trunk.

"You never stayed here in this hotel, did you?" Asami asked quietly.

"Now you're catching on," he smirked. Korra opened the door to the back seat, ushering Asami in first. She cried out in pain as she stuffed herself into the cramped car. Asami had a look of discomfort on her face, but didn't comment on the enclosed quarters of the vehicle. Korra instantly swallowed the complaint that was nestled on her tongue. Asami was taller than her and must have had it harder, since she was slightly hunched over.

Korra quickly deduced that the back of the car was made smaller than the front when Ghazan climbed into the driver's seat. As tall as he is, he looked to be very comfortable, throwing an arm around the back of Ming-Hua's seat as he pulled the car away from the curb.

Asami moved to snuggle up into Korra's side, looping her right arm around Korra's left. Korra wanted to reassure her girlfriend, once more, that everything was going to be okay. However, she stared out the window as they traveled towards airport. She watched as the small shops and stalls zoomed by. The windows were rolled down so she briefly heard the polite conversations and laughter from the people shopping on the streets.

"Last stop," Ghazan called out once he pulled up alongside the curb outside of the airport. He handed Korra and Asami their plane tickets and passports. Asami uttered out a quiet thank you, as Korra popped the door open. She didn't apologize when she accidentally elbowed the back of Ming-Hua's car seat. Hard. Twice.

Korra stepped out of the cramped car. Turning she grabbed a hold of Asami's hand, helping her onto the curb. Together they walked towards the trunk and pulled their suitcases out. Asami closed the trunk, staring at the chipped paint and dented metal. Korra lightly tugged on her hand, catching her attention. Korra jerked her head in the direction of the airport, her face somber. Asami nodded once before pulling up the handle to the suitcase.

As the two walked towards the airport, the car tore off out of the parking lot. The tires squealed loudly, leaving a dark streak across the asphalt and a stream of smoke wafted into the air. The two of them watched the car until it drove out of sight. Asami let out a light sob before taking a deep breath. She rolled her shoulders back before donning, what Korra called her work face. It was something Korra had only seen when Asami was dealing with insufferable clients or businessmen while she talked on the phone or vented to her at the end of a long day.

Korra led Asami into the airport, ignoring the people she accidentally bumped into. Asami called out quiet apologies from over her shoulder as she scurried to keep up with Korra. She cried out when she almost ran into her girlfriend's back, who suddenly stopped, reading the arrival and departure board.

"Our line is over here," Korra said quietly, pointing to a line a few feet over.

"…That's…convenient," Asaimi sadly commented.

"I know." Korra reached up and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She wasn't entirely sure if she was sweating from the heat or from her nerves. Asami seemed to be cool and collected, per usual. Her makeup was on par, and her hair appeared to be neat, even though she wasn't given any time to comb or brush it. "Let's do it."

Asami nodded once before filing behind Korra towards their gate, stepping into the security line. Korra peered around everyone in the line and looked at the security guards. His dark hat and sunglasses obscured his face, but she could see the harsh frown lines in his T-zone and around his mouth. Korra quickly turned away when he glanced in her direction. A woman and young child were standing in front of her. The child was yelling at her mother, yelling at her to look at her toy. Korra decided to shift the child's attention, pretending to take up interest in a toy the child in front of her shoved in her face. Asami smiled warmly as she watched their interaction. While she wasn't too fond of children, she always enjoyed watching Korra interact with them.

"Keep the line moving," the security guard called out. Asami's smile faded as she stepped closer, wrapping an arm around Korra's front, giving her a back hug. Korra rubbed her palm across the back of Asami's hand. She glanced down at their hands,

"Next," the guard called out. Korra took a deep breath, and couldn't help but smile when she felt Asami do the same, pressed against her back. She patted her girlfriend's hand before stepping forward and placing her bag on the conveyor belt to her left. Korra walked through the metal detector and held her hands out to the side, letting the police officer wave the metal detecting wand around the outline of her body. Korra stepped forward to grab her suitcase, but cried out when she was pushed out of the way.

"Where are you traveling to, today?" he asked.

Korra opened her mouth to respond, but then slowly shut it. While it was a simple question, she didn't remember him asking the woman and the child in front of her. She felt Asami lightly poke her in the back of her arm, catching her attention. Korra cleared her throat before answering, "Republic City." She moved to grab a hold of her suitcase, but the security officer pulled it further out of her reach.

"Just a second."

"What's the deal?" she demanded. "You didn't bother anyone else in line." Asami watched out of the corner of her eye as she placed her suitcase onto the conveyor belt. The security guard held his arm out when Korra reached out for her bag. He turned her suitcase around before kicking his foot against square where the drugs sat.

"What is this?" the guard barked.

"It's a book," Korra said, keeping her voice steady. The security officer slowly took off his sunglasses. She forced herself to look into his harsh gold eyes. His gaze turned sterner with each passing minute. Korra held her breath, continuing to stare the man down. She kept her hands at her sides, not wanting to make any sudden movements. She felt her pulse begin to race as he reached into his pocket.

Korra felt herself deflate when the security gaurd pulled out a pocket knife. Continuing to stare each other down, he flicked open the knife and stabbed the middle of the suitcase where the drugs sat. Korra inhaled sharply as he yanked it back out, a mint green powder lightly coated the metal. "…Step to the side," he ordered.

Korra nodded once before moving over. She titled her head back and closed her eyes as she heard Asami repeat the words she just uttered: "It's a book."

**.: Present Day :.**

"At that point, we were taken into the back room, and arrested. They knew it wasn't a book. It stood out too much in the suitcases for it to be a book." Korra walked back over to the podium, placing the microphone into the stand. She leaned against the wood, resting her forearms along the smooth surface, to force herself to sit still. "We didn't stand a chance. In fact, part of me believes the man knew we were coming. He picked us out very quickly."

"Asami and I were arrested for possession, attempted smuggling, and trafficking of powdered cactus root. We were looking at years in prison." Korra paused, catching the audience's reactions. As she had expected, a soft murmur rang out across the auditorium. She waited patiently for their words to die down. "Luckily for us, we were able to get into contact with the Republic City embassy, and were given a lawyer."

"Talking down our sentencing took hours. We were separated, I was in one room, and Asami was in the other. From my understanding, because it was our first offense, we wouldn't get that hard of a sentencing. However, it would still be on our records. I expected as much."

Korra took a deep breath before looking out at the audience once more. Her eyes instantly landed on her parents. They were seated in the middle section of the auditorium, a few rows down from the back. "I think the hardest part for me was calling my parents." At that, she watched as her mother broke down in sobs. Her father leaned over in his seat, pulling his wife close. "Just hearing the pain and anguish in my mother's voice…."

"I just wanted to lie," Korra's voice cracked. She felt a few tears spill down her cheeks, dripping off of her chin and onto her hands. One landed on the microphone; Korra watched as it slowly began to seep into the electronic device."I wanted to tell her that everything was okay and that I was calling in to check on how things were back home. But I needed help. _We_ needed help."

"Everything worked out for me. I was relieved when my parents agreed to help me. But, I only focused on Asami. I didn't know what happened with her until I got back…"

**.: Two Weeks Earlier :.**

Asami perked up when she heard the keys slid into the lock of her cell. She tried to get to her feet, but winced at the pain that flared up the minute she pressed all of her weight into the ground. Korra instantly rushed over as soon as the door was unlocked. As soon as her girlfriend dropped to her knees, Asami pulled her into a long kiss. "What happened?" she asked the minute they pulled away.

"I called my parents. They said they're going to send some money," Korra answered. She tried to keep the happiness from her voice as she looked into Asami's sober face, but she couldn't help the swell of hope that rose in her chest. "I don't know how, but they will."

"That's great, Korra," Asami answered with a half-smile.

"What about you?"

Asami's smile instantly faded. She slowly shook her head, letting out a sardonic chuckle. "…My dad…" she whispered.

"What happened?"

Asam's breathing became labored as she started to cry. Korra sat down with her back against the cell. She moved her legs out to the side and pulled Asami over so that she could sit in front of her. Once she was settled, Korra instantly wrapped her arms around Asami, pulling her in close. The sun had begun to set and a chill entered the small space. Korra held her girlfriend tightly, trying to warm her up, since she knew that Asami often gets cold very easily. "He said…he said that I got myself…into this mess, and I have to…get myself out," she choked out.

"But, he won't let you touch your money," Korra regrettably reminded her. ". …how would you-"

Asami shifted slightly in her seat, looking at Korra with melancholy. Korra read the answer in her green eyes. She gently moved Asami's so that she was resting on her side, her head placed on Korra's shoulder. Korra then began to lightly scratch Asami's back, gently singing a song from her hometown into her ear, as the setting sun threw them into darkness.

**.: Present Day :.**

"Every night that we were in that cell…" Korra trailed off. She pulled her lips into a straight line. "Every night, I held onto her. I didn't sleep because I wanted to make sure she was okay. I wanted her to use my body as a proper pillow instead of the floor. I gave her my food to make sure she was properly fed."

"About a week later…a week ago…a guard came up to our cell, and told me I was free. I wanted to be happy, I assure you I did. However, a little bit of me died. How could I be happy when my girlfriend would be stuck in jail? I could hardly fend off anyone who tried to touch her…tried to make her their bitch. But, I did. I protected her. If I left, how would I know that she was safe?"

_Korra tightly gripped Asami's hand as she watched the guard walk down the hallway. They liked eyes, and when Asami squeezed her hand even tighter, Korra knew that the guard was coming for her. She instantly pulled her girlfriend in a tight embrace, the tightest she physically could. She wanted to remember what it felt like holding her girlfriend. The more the seconds passed the more she tightened her grip. It was as if she was trying to fuse their bodies together, trying to make it become on vessel. Asami didn't complain, but let herself be held._

_Korra buried her nose in Asami's hair, breathing in deeply, wanting to burn her familiar scent inside her nostrils. She ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair, wanting to remember the texture. Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's neck, placing light kisses along her jaw line before finally pressing a kiss to Korra's lips._

_"I'll get you out," Korra said. She pressed her forehead against Asami's. "No matter what it takes…," her lips lightly brushed against her girlfriend's as she spoke. "I'll talk to your dad."_

_"He won't listen," Asami answered solemnly._

_"I can be very persuasive," she answered, which brought the smallest of smile's to Asami's face. "I will get you out. He'll just have to deal with it."_

_"Korra, you're free to go," the guard announced as he opened the door. Korra gave her one more kiss before stepping out of the cell. She watched as Asami limped forward, grabbing onto the black bars in between them. Korra looked at the metal in between them with disdain, before focusing her attention on Asami._

_"I love you," Korra whispered. She reached in through the bars and placed her hands onto Asami's cheeks. Asami tried to smile, but her tears and trembling muscles in her face made it hard for her to do so. Instead, she pressed a kiss to the side of Korra's hands. "I love you so much."_

_"I know," she answered. Korra paused, before slowly pulling her hands back. She stared at Asami until she felt a tug on her arm. Every time in the past, when Korra had said that she loved Asami, her girlfriend would always answer that she loved her as well. Korra didn't hear the sounds of the door closing. She didn't pay attention to the key, turning the lock, keeping Asami in and Korra out. Korra only focused on those two words: I know. Those two words that sealed in her fate, her worry, her life._

_As Korra was led down the hallway, she felt herself stand up a little bit taller. As the sound of an airplane flying overhead echoed around them, she heard a soft voice call out. She heard an 'I love you'. While not completely certain, Korra found herself walking a bit taller, her shoulders rolled back. It was something to hold onto as she took her first step outside, back into freedom._

"Walking away from her was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life," Korra spoke quietly into the microphone. No other sound came from the audience. Everything was quiet and still. "I didn't even cry. I wanted to be strong for her. I wanted her to see that I was until she couldn't see me anymore. I cried on the way to the airport, I cried on the plane, I cried on my way home. I didn't even stop crying when I met up with my parents or my pet dog, Naga. I don't even remember when I stopped crying and began to live life again."

"Every day I felt guilty. While I was working, or spending some time with my friends, or doing chores…your basic every day stuff…I worried about Asami, being stuck in the jail cell by herself." Korra licked her lips and cleared her throat. "My life did change. It wasn't easy. One of my friends, whom I was really close to, cut all contact with me. He's a police officer. He says he's too busy to see me…but I know, it's just because he doesn't want to see me. He cares about me too much to want to see how I've changed."

"Asami's been sitting in that jail cell by herself, for a week. I begged and pleaded for her father to do something. I don't know if he will, I never heard back from him. I don't think he likes me. I mean, when in history has a father even liked their daughter's girlfriend of boyfriend?" A few chuckles rang out in the audience. Korra couldn't help but smile along with them. It was great to finally have some humor back in her life. After a moment, the smile faded, and the seriousness crept back into her voice. "In fact, why would he? His daughter is this gorgeous, smart, level headed, wonderful woman who had her life planned out for her, and I ruined it with one bad decision."

"I want to thank Principal Tenzin for asking me to come and speak to you all. I was hesitant, at first, but now I know that this was something I was meant to do." Korra fought the urge to roll her eyes when a hushed murmur broke out among the audience. "No, not becoming a drug smuggler, but speaking. With what I did, I can now relate my message to as many people as possible. I found something that makes me somewhat excited to come into work, oddly enough."

"As I stated before: No matter what anyone says, money will change the way you think. It will change the way you view life, change the way you were raised, the way you respect yourself." The microphone screeched loudly with feedback. She waited patiently for the noise to die, glancing out at the audience, her eyes set firmly, her face filled with determination, her voice strong and powerful, filling every corner and empty space of the auditorium. "Money, in all circumstance, is a drug. Once you have a lot of it, you must have more. You crave it. You want to have a better life and money will get it for you."

"My name is Korra. I am a convicted drug smuggler, and now I can finally be happy with what I have, when it seemed like I wouldn't have it anymore," she said firmly. "Let me leave you with a question: what is your happiness worth?" Korra took a slow scan of the audience. She wanted to smile when she noticed that she had held their attention, but the topic was nothing to be smiling about. "Thank you."

She didn't stay on stage long enough to hear Tenzin's closing remarks. Korra stormed backstage and let out a loud growl, pushing away all of the audience's smirks and searing looks, the negative thoughts, and self-loathing. Korra jumped when she felt a hand on her back.

"You did a fantastic job, Korra," Tenzin said gently.

Korra half smiled. "Thank you. If it's alright with you, I'm just going to head out the back. I know the press will have a lot of question they'll want to ask."

"You will have to face them eventually," he pointed out. "You can only dodge them for so long."

"I know, but I would like for my words to sink in first. Not for me, but for the younger people out there." Korra glanced over her shoulder at the closed curtains. She could still hear the conversations people were having as the slowly made their way out of the auditorium. "I don't care if I'm judged, heck, I've been judged all my life with my father being in a position of power," she pointed out. "I just want to make sure I touch one person. I want to help someone."

Tenzin nodded once, before stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Korra."

Korra's blue eyes widened as his words sunk in. "After everything I've done?" she asked.

"No matter what." Korra quickly ducked her head down so that he wouldn't see the tears that threatened to slide down her cheeks. After clearing her throat, Korra stepped close to him and gave him a tight hug. Tenzin relaxed after a moment before hugging her back. "I'll talk to you later," he said once they pulled away.

"Bye." Korra took a deep breath before heading towards the back exit of the auditorium. She pulled out her cellphone, biting her bottom lip as it powered on. She waited for the screen to light up, for her phone to follow the assigned vibration pattern, alerting her of a text message or missed phone call.

She placed her phone into her back pocket as she changed directions towards the Green Room. Glancing around, she spotted empty coffee cups, a bowl of slowly melting ice, three empty water bottles, and a half-empty jar of candy. Korra cleaned up her trash, taking her time, hoping that the press would grow tired of waiting and leave by the time she emerged.

Korra's hands shook as she felt her phone vibrate. Plucking it out of her back pocket, she scanned the screen. Forcing back a loud groan of disappointment, she pressed the ANSWER key, and moved her phone to her ear.

"Hey Mako," she greeted quietly.

"Hey," he answered gruffly. "I don't have much time to talk-"

"As per usual," Korra said. "Although, I'm surprised you're actually calling me. The last time we met up, things went south."

"I know," Mako said quietly. He sighed hard. Korra pictured him running a hand through his hair. She couldn't help but smile. It was something else that reminded her that life would still continue to move forward, even with an arrest on her record. Guilt swelled up once more. Korra's smile instantly faded. "I caught your speech-"

"You did?" Korra asked, clearly surprised. Her eyebrows rose in shock. "I thought you'd be busy. I mean, that's what you've said every time I tried to see you."

"Yes, I know. But this was important. You were fantastic and I'm sorry for the way I treated you. I was being a terrible friend and putting my job first."

Korra half-smiled. "I accept your apology. Thank you."

"Have you heard from Asami?" Mako asked slowly.

"No," Korra answered. She collapsed onto the couch, resting her arm over her eyes. "I don't know when she'll be released, if she ever will. I've been waiting for a phone call-"

"And I probably got your hopes up," he concluded.

"A little," she admitted. Korra slowly shook her head. "I was going to send a letter soon. Just to see how she's been doing." She felt a familiar pinch behind the back of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she forced the tears away. "I'd go and see her, but I'm banned from the Fire Nation for life."

"It could have been worse," Mako suggested.

"I know you're trying to help, but it is worse." Korra tried not to snap at him. It wasn't fair to push off her anger, her resentment of herself, onto him, and was finding it very hard to keep from doing so. "I ruined her life. Our lives. She was set to take over Future Industries. Who will follow her leadership?" Korra demanded. "Who will want to do business with them?"

"Well, from what I hear, Hiroshi hasn't been doing entirely legal things-"

"Not the time, Mako," she snapped. "There's no way she'll ever forgive me for this."

"You don't know that," he said gently.

"Would you forgive me?" Korra demanded.

"It's like you said, Korra. Anyone has the ability to get caught up in this," he pointed. "Plus, she went along with the idea too. You didn't force her into it."

A light knocking from the door. "Just a second Tenzin," she called out. "Mako, I may as well forced her into it. The only good thing is that Zaheer, Ming-Hua, and Ghazan, are all in jail right now because I entered the plea deal upon returning to Republic City. If I can even say things are good. I constantly look over my back, waiting for something to happen

"Korra, you just have to take things one day at a time. Things will-"

"No, Mako, I just want to know if she's okay," she cried, her voice cracking. Korra swallowed hard against the lump that rose in her throat. "I want to hear her voice, I want to hold her." She pulled her phone away from her ear as a tear slid down her cheek. Korra curled her hands into fists, ignoring the creaking of protest from her phone, before resting her knuckles against her forehead. She took a few deep breaths before getting up to her feet. Ignoring the trash that she had yet to clean up, Korra began to pace in tight circle around the table by the couch. "Even if she breaks up with me on the spot, I just have to see her. I will be able to know, even with one look, if she will be able to forgive me." Korra paused, staring at the ground. She heard the door to the room open.

Without glancing at her guest, Korra exhaled softly, running a hand through her short bob. After returning from the Fire Nation, she had cut her long hair off, hoping to start new. "That's all I want, Mako," she said quietly. "I want her to forgive me. I want her to know that I'll always love her. It could be as something as simple as saying 'hi'. Just with her inflection, I'd be able to know."

Another knock came from the door. "Tenzin, I said hold on!" Korra snapped. When the knocking came again, she sighed hard, ripping her phone from her ear. Korra turned around, ready to lash out at the intrusion, but found herself freezing on the spot. She didn't even notice when her phone slipped out of her hand, didn't flinch when it clattered to the floor. Korra was too busy staring into those beautiful green eyes she never expected to see again.

"Hi," Asami said quietly. She was leaning up against a crutch, tucked underneath her right armpit. Her face free of any makeup, exposing the dark bags underneath her eyes, the slightly wrinkles in the corners, the exhaustion painted brightly. "I said, hi, Korra." While her tone was flat, the corners of her eyes slightly crinkled, the same way whenever she smiled. A second later, she spoke again: "How are you?" her voice, caught, as her eyes misted over. 

And yet, to Korra, she still looked beautiful. With a bare face and looking more rundown than when she's sick, Korra still thought Asami had the air of composure. It was then she realized, she was really in love with her. Korra felt her eyes misting over, as her guilt controlled her entire system. She loved every single inch of the woman in front of her. She knew and understood what that word meant, and how much more of a meaning it now carried.

After replaying that first word, over and over in her mind, Korra finally, found her voice: "Hi," she whispered.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! :)  
> [knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com](http://knocking-down-hesitation.tumblr.com)


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